Colleges: A new Perry propels Purple

Wednesday

May 19, 2010 at 5:52 PMMay 19, 2010 at 5:55 PM

By Jennifer TolandTELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Ron Perry Sr., the fabulous Holy Cross two-sport star of the 1950s and former HC athletic director, has watched his grandson, Matt Perry, play baseball for the Crusaders the last four years, just like he watched his son, the great Ronnie Perry, do the same from 1977-80, and that is with great pride.

Matt, the 2009 Patriot League Player of the Year, tops this year's team with a .398 batting average and has led the Crusaders to a place they've never been before - the Patriot League Tournament championship series this weekend. Matt has certainly carried on the Perry name at Holy Cross with distinction and class.

"Matt definitely had a lot of attention bestowed on him his first couple years here as a result of his family lineage," HC coach Greg DiCenzo said. "The last two years, the accolades he's received are a direct result of what he's accomplished as an athlete himself."

Matt holds the Holy Cross career records for at-bats, runs, hits, doubles and total bases - he broke his dad's mark in that category - and last year set single-season records for hits and total bases, again moving ahead of his father in both categories.

You can try, but you're not going to get Matt to talk about his personal feats. Like Ronnie, humility is one of Matt's greatest traits.

"I only really found out about that stuff when I looked at game recaps online," he said after Monday's practice. "We've been so focused on winning the championship, it's been real easy to stay in the present this year and just focus on each game from a team perspective."

The third-seeded Crusaders beat second-seeded Lehigh in the PL semifinals last weekend, while fourth-seeded Bucknell knocked off Army, the top seed. So, as good fortune - and good baseball - would have it, HC is hosting the Bison in the best-of-three championship series at 6 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday at Fitton Field.

Holy Cross (25-24) is seeking its first winning season since 1991 and its first NCAA appearance since 1978, Ronnie's sophomore season.

"I think my dad and all the other senior parents are pretty excited (that) they get to keep watching us play," Matt said. "That would have been too soon if the season ended last weekend. I've had a blast here and that's why I'm really thankful that we're still playing baseball. I'm not really ready to put that away yet."

DiCenzo has done a tremendous job in his three years with the Purple. Under him, the Crusaders have posted three straight 20-win seasons for the first time since 1917-1919 and have made three consecutive PL tourney appearances for the first time ever.

DiCenzo let his players set the goal for this season, and they made it clear to him that getting to the title game - and winning it - was what they were after.

"We haven't accomplished our goal get," DiCenzo said, "but we have a great opportunity to do it."

HC won three of four against Bucknell during the season.

The Crusaders produced five all-league selections - Perry and junior Jack Laurendeau, both first-team stars, and second-team picks Nate Koneski and Steve Tkowski, both sophomores, and junior Nick Ciardiello - as well as the PL's Rookie of the Year, freshman Stephen Wadsworth.

"From the beginning of the year, we definitely did feel like we had a championship-caliber team," Matt said. "We had a lot of returning players who had done well and improved a lot, and a lot of talented younger guys. Sometimes a team just has that kind of feel, and we felt like this would be a team that could make a run in the postseason."

Matt is hoping his HC career continues beyond this weekend. If the Crusaders win the series and earn the automatic NCAA berth, they will play in the regionals the following long weekend, June 4-7.

Baseball may be in Matt's future anyway. There's a possibility he, like his father and grandfather before him, will be selected in next month's Major League Baseball draft.

"If the draft works out, awesome, I'll pursue that," said Matt, an economics major. "If not, it's time for a shirt and tie. But I think there's a chance (of being drafted) and I'm preparing myself for that."

Carly Normandin is finishing her softball career at the University of Massachusetts in grand style. The senior center fielder led the Minutemen to their 22nd Atlantic 10 championship, and this week they will make their 16th straight NCAA appearance. Nationally-ranked UMass (No. 23) hosts Long Island in the first round on Friday.

Normandin earned All-Atlantic 10 first-team honors for the third straight season after topping the conference in hitting (.405). She was the 2009 A10 Player of the Year.

Jordan Storro of Leominster is a sophomore second baseman/outfielder for the Minutemen.

Mike Bates of Holden/Wachusett Regional, Josh Borrero of Worcester/Worcester Tech, Alex Marshall of Shrewsbury, Matt Pedone of Holden/Wachusett and Kevin Roche of Mendon/Nipmuc Regional are the locals among Assumption College's 40-man football recruiting class this year.

Other newcomers to the Greyhounds this fall will be offensive lineman Dan Duggan, who transferred from Northeastern, and linebacker Nick Haag of Grafton/Holy Name, a transfer from UMass. Both have three years of eligibility remaining.

Anna Maria sophomore Jeff Scafidi was selected to the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association Division 3 All-New England second team. ... Franklin Pierce junior third baseman Derek Ingui of Sterling earned All-East Region first-team honors. Ingui led the Ravens to the NCAA finals in Cary, N.C. Franklin Pierce plays Kutztown on Sunday. ... During last weekend's graduation, Worcester State tennis co-captain Albana Xhemollari of Worcester received the Ella May Whitney Award for her dedication in the classroom and contributions to the campus community. ... Former Holy Name football star Corey Brown, a freshman at Western New England College, received the school's Richard DiRuzza Emerging Leader Award last week. ... WNEC senior center fielder Lauren Arsenault of Fitchburg and junior first baseman Trish Breault of Millville made the All-Commonwealth Coast Conference first team.